211 – The Last Battle (3)
– Chattering… chattering…
I sprinkled alcohol on Adam’s grave.
Wearing all my armor and carrying my sword at my waist, I offered a drink to Adam.
Whatever happened, this was going to be my last battle.
Win or lose, it didn’t matter.
But the anticipation was greater than the tension.
The chance to fight Krund, who had taken Adam’s life, had finally come back.
It was a chance to vent that anger, and I didn’t know that it could be this refreshing.
Considering Sien, Ner, and Arwin, it shouldn’t be this refreshing… but I couldn’t help but suppress my genuine feelings.
From the start, I was more comfortable doing something physical rather than sitting down and pondering.
It seemed more suitable to do things with my body.
I remembered what Gale said, that I was a well-tempered sword.
That might have been right.
I was more comfortable with a utilitarian life.
A life filled with simple labor was easy.
Deciding how to live, using wisdom, was not my job.
At the same time, I could understand why I had not been able to fill in the epitaph on Adam’s tombstone.
Of course, I hadn’t let go of him yet… but perhaps it was because of Krund.
It seemed that only by accomplishing revenge on the right-hand man of the Demon King, I could let Adam go.
“Adam, rest here.”
I read the unfinished, brief phrase with my eyes once again.
“…I’ll come back and fill it in.”
That’s what I told him.
And then, I sprinkled alcohol on his grave one last time and asked him a favor.
“…Please watch over me.”
I turned my back.
Leaving behind the cemetery where my comrades were resting.
“Captain, come quickly!”
From a distance, Sean called out to me.
Outside the graveyard, countless comrades were already waiting for me.
The path I took was filled with numerous souls and refugees who had entered the realm of the dead.
The other races still seemed unable to understand my choice.
Yet it wasn’t as if they looked at us foolishly, unable to comprehend.
Rather, their gaze was mixed with admiration and yearning, instead of contempt.
Perhaps at this very moment, the reputation of the human race might change?
I heard that they had not backed down from battle when everyone else had fled.
Of course, this was an uncontrollable story for me.
Geil, too, had been waiting for me with his equipment on after a long time.
“Hurry up, Berg. It’s time to set out.”
“…”
Whether I made a certain choice or not, it seemed his words of support were far from empty.
Although I hadn’t suggested it, he was rightfully in that position.
He kept proposing to escape all this time.
I knew Geil didn’t want this battle.
So I said to him,
“Geil. Get off the horse.”
“…What?”
“Don’t follow me. I wish for you to stay here and protect Stokfin.”
“Berg, I-“
“-You promised, didn’t you?”
I said to him.
“…”
Geil seemed to have not forgotten our promise as he blinked his eyes.
I asked Geil to protect my people just in case I was wrong.
I wasn’t setting out with the assumption that I wouldn’t die.
I was moving forward, clearly knowing that death was a possibility.
“If both of us are wrong…how can you leave the remaining people?”
“…”
Geil remained still for a while, then heaved a deep sigh.
Then he lowered his head and spoke.
“This is my fight too, Berg.”
“In Stakpin-“
“-I want to fulfill Adam’s revenge, too. I cannot sleep with the nightmares of that time either.”
“…”
“You promised to survive and come back for your wives, didn’t you?”
I couldn’t open my mouth to his words.
“Then I will promise you too. I’ll survive no matter what. So let’s go together.”
“…”
Seeing Gail’s firm expression, I finally made a joke.
“The stubbornness of the dragon-kin really can’t be broken.”
Gail laughed out loud and answered.
“You’re right.”
I brushed my horse’s mane and held the reins.
“…It’s been a while.”
And then I whispered to the horse.
As soon as I got on the saddle with force, I looked around my territory for a moment.
There were countless eyes looking up at me.
These were all people I had to protect.
Then someone shouted.
‘You have to come back!!’
It was a shout made by someone in the company.
Starting with that shout, endless cheers poured out.
‘Come back and keep your promise!’
‘Don’t lose the talisman, kid!’
‘Dad!! You have to come back!!’
– Tadadak!
Then someone ran through the crowd and grabbed my leg.
It was Arwin.
His eyes were red from crying so much.
However, she looked at me with a hardened expression, pretending not to shed tears.
“…Please don’t regret this.”
She said.
“It was me who encouraged you to go on this mission… Please come back.”
I nodded at Arvin and said.
“Don’t worry.”
“…”
“…I’ll finish everything and come back.”
Arvin tightly closed her eyes and pulled something out of a small pouch hanging from her waist.
“…”
A familiar necklace appeared.
The world leaf necklaces we made during our wedding.
Among them, the necklace with Arvin’s world leaf was revealed.
Arvin handed me the necklace that I took off during our divorce.
“Can you keep it on yourself?”
“…”
I smiled at Arvin.
Then, I received the necklace from her and put it around my neck.
Arvin finally nodded and let me go at that sight.
“I’ll be back.”
I uttered those few short words.
Arvin also nodded.
Slowly, I nodded at Baran, and he blew the horn once again.
“…Let’s go!”
At my subsequent brief command, everyone started moving without saying a word.
We began to head towards the direction where Krund existed.
…
…
Throughout the journey, my heart sank strangely calm and tranquil.
The sound of the wind brushing against my ears and the sound of horse hooves gradually disappeared to the point where I could no longer hear them.
As I galloped across the vast plains, memories of the past came back to life.
I recalled the glorious times when we united against our enemies and emerged victorious.
It was as if the departed comrades were still by our side, watching over us.
It all began as a quest for survival as mercenaries, but we ended up becoming a much stronger force than we’d ever imagined.
It seemed as though this war was now an inevitable part of our destiny.
I never thought I would come to accept this fate so easily.
Perhaps this was our final battle, the last struggle we would face.
Would only defeating Krund grant us the peace and prosperity we’ve been longing for?
I saw numerous races walking in the opposite direction, away from the battle, as I drove my horse forward.
Refugees were moving around the plains we were crossing, seeking shelter from the violence.
They all looked at us with curiosity and unease.
Some even waved their hands at us, as if trying to stop us from going any further.
“They must think we’re insane!” Gale shouted as he drove his horse alongside mine.
“Everyone else believes it’s right to flee! We shouldn’t even expect any assistance from them!”
Hearing his words, I smiled and yelled back, “Well, then, do you want to turn back too?”
Gale laughed at my response, “No… I can’t do that. Although it’s an unimaginable choice for me logically … I strangely find it appealing! This is an experience like no other!”
Noticing the smiles on the faces of our comrades, it seemed that they all shared the same sentiment.
It was fortunate that Gale’s words had lifted their spirits.
I looked ahead once more and continued driving my horse.
.
.
.
.
After riding all day, we set up camp to rest for the night.
Kruund was expected to be somewhere within a 10-day distance.
We weren’t exactly sure how close our opponent had gotten.
As much as we were running towards each other, and since the 10-day distance information might not be accurate… it could be a matter of possibly meeting tomorrow.
However, for now, rest was necessary.
As much as rest, strategy was also needed.
After a few agents were sent out as a reconnaissance team, Balan, Gael, and I began to strategize.
The last fight also served as a foundation for this strategy.
“We should hope that Kruund suffered some damage too. As much as we’re trying to cause the most confusion and shock, Kruund is advancing at an unbelievable speed. It’s not about trying to win the war anyway, but seeking revenge.”
“Did you say Kruund was looking for a place to die?”
“That’s the feeling, I guess. We might not have had to take this risk if Kruund hadn’t come in our direction. They would have self-destructed on their own.”
Gael continued with a sigh.
“…Anyway, that would be the most advantageous situation for us. Oh, I also heard that the monsters around Kruund aren’t so threatening. The only dangerous ones are Kruund, I heard.”
Balan nodded and replied.
“Wasn’t that the case last time too? Kruund was threatening, not the rest of the monsters…”
I responded as well.
“That makes things easier for us.”
“We must not think that way too easily. We have to consider that Kruund has been able to annihilate so many families even in such a situation. We must be more careful than usual. And…”
Gael continued to talk.
However, strangely enough, I was not concerned with anything else.
The situation seemed all too clear to me.
My determination grew even stronger after hearing that only Kruund was powerful.
Was hunting Kruund really my destiny?
I couldn’t shake the feeling that some strange force was at work between us.
-Thump.
That’s when Gael put his hand on my shoulder.
“…Berg, are you listening?”
“Huh?”
I hadn’t been listening to Gael’s words as I continued my thoughts.
Gael then spoke to me.
“….Focus. Weren’t we discussing strategy? In short, employing a guerilla warfare strategy seems to be the most advantageous. It’s also a strategy that was used to kill the remaining intelligent demons during the war two years ago. First, Balan will-“
“-Gale.”
I let out a sigh and cut off Gale’s words.
Baran’s gaze shifted towards me.
“…”
I paused for a moment, and then brought up the topic that had been swirling in my head.
“…Just make a path for us, please.”
“…What?”
“Just create a path. I’ll handle Crunud.”
“…”
Gale stared at me with wide-eyed astonishment.
It seemed like my simple words had sorted out his complicated thoughts.
Soon, he gently lowered his head and spoke.
“…Berg. The more detailed the strategy-“
“-Didn’t you say yourself that Crunud is the strongest?”
“…”
“If I can’t defeat Crunud, there would be no chance of winning anyway.”
“…You’re saying to reduce the burden.”
“I’ve been dealing with the burden all along.”
I thought of the members and spoke.
In the end, this is the most comfortable choice for me.
This had always been our strategy since the beginning.
I had no intention of changing the strategy this time.
“If Adam was still with us, it might have been different. But now he’s gone, and I’m the leader… I want to try it my way.”
“…”
“Sometimes, the simplest strategy is the most effective. It’s been a while since we had such a battle, so the more detailed we make our strategy, the less coordinated we may become. The actual fight is always different, isn’t it?”
I flicked the handle of my sword, and looked at the two.
“…Let’s finish this our way.”
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Baran quietly nodded his head.
“…Gale, sir. I prefer that side too.”
“…”
“Captain, I will always be by your side. Let’s deal with Chief Khrund as we have done before.”
Gael looked up at me with confusion, his expression gradually hardening under my gaze.
Gradually, trust began to flow from his eyes looking up at me.
Baran also had the same look in his eyes as I did.
Gael finally sighed.
Blinking as if imagining something, he answered.
“…Alright. If that’s what both of you think… let’s do it.”
****
King Rex Dreigo looked down at the numerous families flocking to the capital.
Some were nobles who had fled from Khrund, while others had no choice but to send their forces at his command.
If there was one thing they all had in common, it was that none of them welcomed the battle.
In the end, perhaps everyone expected Khrund’s attack to ultimately fail.
Their reluctance to dirty their hands reached even the king’s office.
As he watched them gather, the king asked his aide, Gendry.
“Where is Akran?”
The king was still searching for Akran, the veteran warrior who had been a comrade to the hero.
He had disappeared and could not be found.
Gendry, who had been standing quietly behind the king, answered.
“…We still haven’t found him.”
The king’s concerns grew deeper.
Of the five warriors, three were unable to participate in the war.
And among the five warriors, there was even doubt whether one of them was a true warrior.
Felix, the hero chosen by the God of Courage, could not fight because of his missing right arm.
Akran, chosen by the God of War, had disappeared and could not be found.
The saintess, who had been chosen by the God of Purity, had lost her strength.
As for Berg, who was presumed to have been chosen by the God of Solitude, there was doubt whether he was a true warrior.
The only one left was Sylphrien, chosen by the God of Harmony, but Sylphrien was originally a being able to play only a supporting role.
“…”
This was the first time they had to proceed with a war without any warriors.
Naturally, from the king’s perspective, everything was bound to be frightening.
There was always the extreme possibility of losing everything in this war.
The probability of that happening was slim, but… it was a thought that arose from worry.
“…sigh.”
As I let out a sigh, someone knocked roughly on the door.
‘Your Majesty!’
The king exchanged glances with Gendry and nodded.
Soon, the door opened, and the knight commander of the Draygo family rushed in.
It was evident from his appearance that he brought urgent news.
Of course, it was expected to be related to Krund.
The king could only hope that it wasn’t bad news.
“Calm down and speak.”
He commanded.
The knight commander breathed heavily before slowly relaying the news.
“…Be…Bergh Reiker has…”
“…?”
“…We received news that he has left with his army to subjugate Krund.”
****
Two more days of travel, and we saw the scout group, coming towards us waving their flag.
I raised my hand to stop our mercenary group.
They were riding back across the vast plain.
“Sigh…sigh…”
Like me, all the members were looking at the scout group’s flag.
The crimson flag.
That flag meant only one thing.
They had found Krund.